A Whole New World
by Anonymous Muse
Summary: When Clary makes a portal to the demon realms things go wrong and she ends up in the world of King Arthur.
1. Clary's Dilemma

*Disclaimer; I do not own these characters; they belong to Howard Pyle and Cassandra Clare.

**Chapter 1**

Clary awoke to a pounding headache. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around at her new surroundings. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there, but she knew that she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

. . .

Jace stepped through the portal and looked around. The desolate landscape was the same one that Sebastian had shown him when Jace was in his custody. He turned around to congratulate Clary on her portal working correctly, but she wasn't there. He remembered her holding his hand as they stepped through the portal, so now where was she? He turned to look at the others, but they weren't there either. The only other person standing there was Simon.

"Great, so I'm stuck in the demon worlds with only one other person?" Jace cried.

"I'm afraid so, if it makes you feel any better, I don't want to be here anymore than you do." Simon replied coolly. "But listen, if we're going to survive here, then I think it's safe to say that we're going to have to work together."

"But what about the others?"

"I seriously have no idea."

"I still have my stele, I could draw a portal and take us back through to New York."

"I don't think they're still in New York, they may have fallen out of the portal."

. . .

Clary sat up and wondered where the others were, if they weren't here then they were either in New York, which she seriously doubted, in the demon realms, which she doubted slightly less. Or they were somewhere nearby.

She and Jace had decided to go to the demon realms to close up some of the gaps that demons were filtering through and coming to Earth. They'd taken the usual crew, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and Magnus, as well as Maia and Jordan. Before making the portal, she'd read up on what could go wrong, and it turns out that any member of the traveling party could be send back in time and take the place of a figure in history, be it legend or truth. Clary assumed that that's what had happened to the majority of the group. She also knew that everyone who had been transported back in time was in the same moment and same group of events because of something involving the space time continuum.

_I have to find everyone else who got thrown out of the portal! _She thought frantically. Scrambling to her feet, she rushed to the door, threw it open and dashed down the hall. The escape was going great until she tripped and fell flat on her face. A pudgy steward rushed to her aid, helping her up he said,

"Lady Guinevere, are you all right? Do you need a doctor?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Clary snapped. "Leave me be!"

The steward scurried off leaving her confused. _Guinevere? Why did he call me Guinevere? I must be in the history of King Arthur. Darn, that means it could be days before I find everyone, no cell service and no transportation._ Clary looked down to find what she had tripped over and found herself wearing a thick gown made of an emerald material. Her curly red hair was bound back in a tight braid down her back. She grabbed a fold of the gown and held it off the ground, then she commenced running down the hallway. When Clary reached the end of the hall she turned and ran into Alec.

"Alec?"

"Yeah, people keep calling me Arthur, what happened, what didn't you tell us?"

So Clary told him what she had read about the potential fates of travelers going to the demon realms. As she explained Alec's face gradually drained of color.

"Clary, who else is here?"

"I don't know, maybe just us, but probably more, I'd say that only one to two people got through."

"God Clary, do you know what part of history we're in?"

"We're in the legend of King Arthur."

"Who do you think is here with us?"

"From what I read, I'd guess that the two who stepped through first, being Jace and Simon were the only ones who got through."

Together they navigated through the rest of the palace looking for the rest of the group. Occasionally they ran into servants or meandering lords. Once Alec stopped a servant and asked her what was happening in the castle. She told him that everyone was preparing for the two knights to fight over Lady Guinevere's hand. Alec thanked her and hurried to catch up to Clary.

"Apparently they're eagerly anticipating the two knight's who are going to come and fight over Lady Guinevere. I haven't read this story, too busy with training and other important stuff." He reported.

"Well I've read it and I'm also Lady Guinevere. You said people were calling you Arthur right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That means that you're King Arthur who is coincidentally one of the knights who is going to fight over me. You beat the other knight and win my hand and I come to live with you in Camelot as your wife."

"Oh, no pressure then."

"Don't worry, it's just a simple joust and the other guy is supposed to be really bad."

"Hey do you think that the other knight could be anyone we know?"

"It's a possibility."

They lapsed into silence and continued walking the hallways. Another servant they passed saw Clary and called out.

"Guinevere! Where have you been? It's time for you to prepare yourself for the joust! Come with me." She grabbed Clary's arm and dragged her down the hallway leaving Alec alone.


	2. Preparations for the Joust

*Disclaimer; I do not own these characters; they belong to Howard Pyle and Cassandra Clare.

Simon and Jace were very lost. As soon as they'd left the site of the portal all landmarks had vanished. The horizon was flat as a board and the surrounding area was a dusty, gray nothingness. But they trekked on, intent on finding the demon cities and the portals the creatures used to enter Earth. The general plan was to

(a) find a city

(b) navigate it

(c) find a portal, and

(d) get back to Earth.

But of course, as plans usually do, this one was bound to fail.

. . .

Clary stole one fleeting look back at Alec and managed to catch a glimpse right as the woman dragged her around a corner. She then turned all her attention to the woman. Escaping would be easy, just twisting the woman's wrist far enough to break it and Clary would be gone, but she had a feeling that it would be easier to find her friends if she cooperated. So she walked away towards a richly decorated mahogany door. The woman pushed it open and shoved Clary inside, then waddled in after her.

"Sorry," Clary interrupted the woman's bustling about. "But who are you?"

"Oh, don't be silly dear, I'm Margaret."

"Of course, of course," Clary fibbed. "I was just checking to make sure you were awake."

"All right, dearie." Margaret said cheerily and she continued rooting through another room that seemed to be stock full of dresses. Then Clary realized that the other room was her closet. This revelation hit her quite literally as Margaret threw a pair of gilded slippers across the chamber at her. They thudded into her lap as Margaret came out from within the depths of the closet. "I'll unlace your dress and then you can choose the one you want to wear for the joust!" Margaret said through a broad smile. She hurried over to Clary and deftly spun her about so that she looked away from her. the lady-in-waiting then began to loosen the tight laces that pinched Clary into her dress. Surprisingly enough, Clary hadn't even noticed that the dress was so tight until it came loose.

The fitted bodice fell to the floor in a heap leaving Clary standing in the chilly room in only a thin shift. Margaret bent down to gather up the emerald skirts of Clary's prison of late. She scooped them up and carried them out the door, presumably to be laundered. Before Clary could even notice her absence from the room, Margaret came scurrying back into the room and threw open the closet door to a riot of colors and patterns that made Clary's eyes hurt to look at.

. . .

Alec watched Clary turn the corner and then sprinted off to find someone who could direct him to his lodgings as he now knew he was a king masquerading as a humble gardener. So when he finally did happen upon another servant, he came to an abrupt stop and panted out,

"Do you know where my lodgings are?"

"Yes, I do suppose that you are new here, I'll show them to you, but just this once understood?"

"Yes, understood." Alec readily agreed.

The pair of them turned a complex pattern of corners and traversed to the outer edges of the castle, the servant's apartments. The man pointed Alec in the direction of a thin wooden door with chipped varnish. It was clear that this area of the palace was not a priority to the cleaning staff, or anyone for that matter.

Alec swung the door open with a loud creak from the unwilling hinges. he shut it softly behind him and walked into his quarters. A polished suit of armor shone in a corner. The metal was white and emblazoned with no symbol, clearly this was a way to keep Arthur's identity a secret to the Lady Guinevere. Alec sat down on his rough straw mattress and fell back on it. His eyes closed and he welcomed sleep.

. . .

Margaret pulled out a pale yellow dress with a low cut neckline and full skirts. She showed the selection to Clary who in turn asked if there was anything blue in the closet. Margaret walked back into the closet and emerged with a handful of dresses that all sported a different shade of blue. She held them up one by one in order for Clary to choose one. But Clary repeatedly turned her down. The first was too heavy, the next was too dull. They made it through all the blue dresses without Clary agreeing to anything. So Margaret delved back into the closet and pulled out a golden dress with full sleeves, a modest neck, and skirts that stuck out three feet on either side. Clary shook her head adamantly.

And so it was that they continued at this banter for a time, until Clary tired of refusing the dresses that were not right. So when Margaret pulled out another dress Clary agreed and almost instantaneously was spun around yet again and Margaret pulled the bodice over her head.

When it settled around her body,her lady-in-waiting instructed her to hold on tightly to the bedpost. Clary did so and Margaret began the long process of winching her up tightly to produce the desired bell 's breath was squeezed out of her slowly and painfully. When Margaret was done she looked down to see tat the dress she'd agreed to was a mint green gown that accentuated her curves nicely. The neckline was modest enough and the skirts fell loosely to the floor. Her sleeves were fitted tightly to her arms until the wrist where they flourished out in an empress fashion. The bodice was crisscrossed in silver thread that was threaded in elaborate patterns. She slid the gilded slippers onto her feet and then sat down at the vanity to allow Margaret to style her flamboyant red locks.

. . .

Alec awoke well rested. He sat up and looked at the suit of armor standing across the room at him. He stood and crossed to it. Then began the arduous task of putting it on. He began with the chain mail. it was like a really heavy, chain link dress. Next came the breast plate and stomacher. Shin guards, boots, a metal plate that encircled his torso, etc., and then the helmet which clanged shut and cut off his vision. He turned about and walked out the door, this time making more noise than the hinges. He clanked down the hall and out the door that emptied into a large courtyard. He made his way across the green to the stables where he saddled a horse and and found a lance. Hoping that he wouldn't fall off during the joust, he mounted the horse and rode off to prepare away from the castle as he had attracted enough attention already.


	3. Jordan

*Disclaimer, I do not own these characters; They belong to Howard Pyle and Cassandra Clare.

**Chapter 3**

Jace and Simon had spent the past several hours trekking through some rather monotonous landscape. Flat, gray, land surrounded them as far as the eye could see in any direction. Thick gray dust billowed up from the ground wherever they stepped. Currently, Jace was tracking some very faint footprints that presumably belonged to a demon. Simon was following him, hoping for the best. They were hoping that by following this demon, they could find a city where they could continue on with the plan.

. . .

Clary was in a foul mood. Margaret was insisting upon giving her hair 200 strokes of the brush before she would do anything else. So far they had reached only 30 strokes. Margaret pulled hard on the brush and with it, pulled Clary's head back violently with every stroke. They continued on in this fashion for another hundred strokes, until Clary lost her temper. She stood up, yanking the brush out of Margaret's hand and said, "Enough! I can't stand it anymore! Please stop brushing my hair." Margaret stood as well and curtsied clumsily. "Very well mistress."

She sat back down pulling Clary down with her. Margaret then plaited Clary's hair down her back in an elegant braid. She placed a circlet of gold her forehead and backed away, dabbing at her eyes as she went. "You look beautiful Guinevere."

"Thank you Margaret, now what should I do?"

"Well, the joust is nearly upon us." Margaret fretted. "Shall I escort you to the balcony under which the joust shall take place?"

"Yes, please do." Clary consented.

Margaret took her small fingers and tucked them into her own rough ones. The two women walked out the heavy door and meandered through a large portion of the castle to find this balcony.

. . .

When Alec reasoned that he was far enough away from the castle he dismounted and leaned against the horse.

"What should I do? I don't know how to joust. Well, I'm pretty sure that all you have to do is hold the javelin and a shield, then hit each other with the javelin until someone falls off. And I have to win or else this story will not have the same ending, so no pressure or anything." He looked up at the horse," you could help you know." In response, Alec got a horse tongue in his face. "Thanks for that amazing input." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Anyway, I suppose that it's time I go and joust." Mounting the horse, he turned about and trotted back to the castle.

. . .

Clary followed after Margaret who was walking with a speed unrivaled by anyone she knew. Eventually they happened upon a balcony and Margaret practically shoved Clary onto the platform. She handed her a white handkerchief and told her it was for the jousters. If any of them asked her for a favor, give them this. Then Margaret retreated off the balcony and waved Clary on, trying to encourage her. Needless to say it didn't work.

. . .

Jordan had arisen from his slumber in a small room that was richly furnished. He didn't feel like staying there because it was fairly boring. Leaving the room through a thin door and turning right had led him to a large green that lay under a balcony. A short, bald man rushed at him and said, "There you are! I've been waiting for quite some time. Are you ready to fight the white knight? Here's your armor." The man thrust a large pile of clanging metal objects under Jordan's nose. "I'll help you put it on." And so Jordan was pushed by the little man towards a room where he was dressed in a suit of mail and a hauberk as well as other metal objects that he had trouble naming.

The pudgy man finally stepped back, seemingly satisfied with his work.

"All right, away with you!" He cried. "You have a lady's hand to win!" He pulled Jordan closer and said in hushed tones, "Do not fail me again son, wouldn't want you to have any unfortunate accidents now would we?" Then he grabbed Jordan by the wrist and squeezed hard enough that when he let go, a pale hand-shaped mark was fading and Jordan's hand was a pincushion for dozens of invisible needles. "Come along son, we don't want to be late for your joust." He called over his shoulder.

Jordan hurried after the man who was moving surprisingly fast for someone who had such short legs.

The man scurried through the open door that he had first dragged Jordan through on the way to the dressing room. He spilled out onto the green again and, shielding his eyes from the sunlight gazed up at the balcony. He caught a flash of movement and squinted to focus on the figure that now stood atop the balcony. Was this the lady for whom the portly man wanted him to fight for? His eyes had by now adjusted to the bright daylight, so he once again stared up at the balcony. It was Clary! Clary was the figure standing up there! But why was Clary in his hallucination? For clearly anything as crazy as what was happening here was a hallucination or a dream.

. . .

Clary stood on the balcony looking out at the horizon. Romantic as it would seem, the horizon was rather flat and boring. So she looked down at the ground hoping for a servant who had awoken late and was rushing about, something, anything to pass the time. Then, she saw him. A guy about her age with blond hair, tall an lean, and wearing a full suit of armor. He was facing away, so she couldn't see his face to confirm that Jace was here, but her heart screamed for him while she herself remained silent. A small bald man was speaking in animated tones near his ear. The man then quickly released Jace's hand and sped off. Jace then turned towards the balcony, but the glare from the sun was still so much that his face was too shiny to make out for sure. He watched her for a while, as if trying to understand why she was up there and he was down there.

"Margaret," Clary called over her shoulder. " I should like to meet the knights who plan to fight for my hand."

"Of course, my lady, we should go soon though or the joust will begin."

"Then let us leave straightaway."

Clary left the balcony and joined Margaret inside the castle. She slipped her hand through Margaret's proffered elbow and they walked the length of the hall to a set of double stairs. After the stairs was another hallway and two large wooden doors, through the doors was the green that lay beneath the balcony upon which Clary had so recently been standing. She quickened her pace when she sighted him. Clary was practically running across the green and Margaret hurried after her as fast as her feet would carry her. When she reached Jace she reached up and tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around and stared down at her, confused for a moment, then breaking out into a wide smile.

"Clary!" Jordan said excitedly. "Where've ya been? Why were you on the balcony? Why are you wearing that? Where are we? Please tell me_ this_ isn't the demon lands."

"Jordan! I thought you were Jace, I've been in the castle being prepared for this joust. I was on the balcony because that's where I'm supposed to watch the joust from. I'm wearing this because I had to. We're in Arthurian England. These are not the demon lands."

Then she explained to him about how the portal had failed and how they were stuck here until she found her stele and found everyone who had been deposited in the past." And so, I'm assuming that you're the guy who was supposed to win Guinevere's hand and Alec is Arthur who will fight you for me. So, after this all-important joust, you, me, and Alec will leave here and try to find anyone else who got thrown out of the portal."

"Is Maia here?"

"Probably, maybe, I don't know."

"We have to find her."

"We will."


End file.
